How to Prevent Stress Before it Starts

Why are weddings so wonderful, yet so stressful? It drives us to break down in tears over a bouquet of flowers, pull all-nighters when we should be getting “beauty sleep,” and even snap at our perfect fiances. If you didn’t hire a wedding planner, eloping starts to sound like a really good idea after even just a month or two. While there are many ways to treat stress, wouldn’t it just be better to prevent it altogether? Preventing stress entirely is impossible, but by adding certain positive habits to your daily routine, you can keep yourself — and your relationships — in one piece.

First — What Causes Stress?

Depending on the circumstances of your wedding and the events, people, or things in your life, your individual 'stressors' may be different than those for other people. Stress is the way your body reacts when it perceives that you are in danger. Planning a wedding is far from life-threatening, but your instincts need training in order to discern that. If you don’t train yourself to tell the difference between real and imagined dangers, the constant release of the stress hormone cortisol can destroy your health.

How Stress Affects Your Health

Being stressed for extended periods of time takes a toll on both your body and mind, as it affects many hormones (the chemicals that help your brain govern bodily functions), most notably cortisol. In a crisis, cortisol is actually very beneficial — it raises your blood pressure and heightens your immune system, helping you tap into energy reserves, improve focus, and even stay healthy.

However, during long periods of stress, cortisol begins to wreak havoc on the human body. It starts with sleep problems, memory troubles, and getting sick more often than usual. If the stress continues, it can lead to chronic migraines, weight gain, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

How to Survive Your Engagement Stress-Free

There’s no such thing as a stress-free life, or even a stress-free wedding. As much as you may hope for that kind of peace, there will always be disappointments and disagreements. The sooner we all accept it, the better. The great thing is, you can learn healthy ways to deal with it, as well as prevent unnecessary stress.

Meditation

Meditation is about focusing on your heartbeat, on your breath, and cultivating a mental state of clarity. Everyone meditates differently, and if you can find a way that works for you, it can greatly reduce your stress. Taking a walk, stretching, or closing your eyes for a few minutes before checking your spreadsheet again can all be just as valid as sitting cross-legged on an empty beach.

Yoga

While similar to meditation in that there’s a focus on breathing, yoga takes a more physical approach to the process of de-stressing. There are many poses specifically for stress and releasing tension. You can do it by yourself in the morning, following along from an app or a video. You can turn it into a social hobby and take classes. During the summer it's nice to get outside and take the time to breathe and stretch in the sun.

Examine Your Commitments

Are you a yes-girl? Your stress may be a direct result of taking on too many commitments. Yes, you want your wedding to be **perfect**, but putting too many responsibilities on your shoulders is a disservice to you and to those you interact with. You can't perform at your best if you are not selective about how you allocate your time. If you’ve been doing this for a while, you may not have even noticed how your busy schedule has been wearing down your mental and physical health. Stop. Breathe. And figure out a list of other people you can trust to help with the planning.

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Stress is ever-present as the days count down to your wedding, but subtle changes in your lifestyle can significantly reduce its negative impact on your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Whether you have high levels of stress already and you are trying to lower them, or low levels you are trying to prevent from rising, you can take control. If you still struggle, keep in mind that working with mental health professional may be your key to liberation — and there’s no shame in that.